WHOLE FOODS MARKET

The relationship between Whole Foods Market and new owner Amazon has had both its good and bad points since the two companies struck a $13.7 billion merger deal a year ago, according to audio obtained by Business Insider of co-founder and CEO John Mackey speaking at a recent company meeting.

In the audio, Mackey said sales at the Austin-based grocer have increased “far greater than I anticipated” since Amazon took over, Business Insider reported.

But Mackey also said the relationship hasn’t been entirely smooth.

"I'm sure that Amazon has probably gotten more disagreement from me than any other single person and possibly more than everyone else combined," Mackey said. "I ultimately am not afraid to get fired, so — not that I think they are going to fire me, but I'm not afraid of it — so that gives me a position of strength to speak truth to power when it's necessary to do so, and I've done it many, many times.”

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